This course is designed to prepare teachers to understand and critically analyze the history and development of federal and state language policies and how they affect students identified as "ELs" (English Learners). It examines bilingual instruction in all its complexity and richness and explores instances of the historical exclusion of multilingual students and the failure to recognize their needs. The fundamentals of multilingual education and language policies are reviewed, along with how they are implemented in various educational contexts. It is designed to help participants reflect on the labels and classifications applied to "English Learners" that affect their educational development, and to explore how to integrate this knowledge and these tools to design new lesson plans that better address the needs and characteristics of students.